Versatile folding pad



i Nov. 3, 1970 c. 1.. KAlN I 3,

VERSATILE FOLDING PAD Filed Sept. 2a. 1968 INVENTOR.

C. L. KA IN United States Patent 3,537,116 VERSATILE FOLDING PAD Calvin L. Kain, Apt. 25, London House Apartments, Bartlesville, Okla. 74003 Filed Sept. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 762,880 Int. Cl. A47g 9/00 US Cl. -344 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A generally rectangular pad sheet is provided with four fold lines spaced inwardly from and generally parallel to the four edges of the sheet to form a rectangular center section, four generally rectangular side walls, and four corner sections. Each corner section is provided with a pair of fastening means, preferably on the two fold lines from the corner section. The sheet can be folded and secured in various configurations, for example, an openended box, a bag, a bathinette, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While pads for baby pens, baby beds and the like have been known for many years, those desiring such items have generally found it necessary to acquire several different items, each being directed to a particular end use. Thus the pad generally utilized in a babys play pen is not utilized in the babys bed. Similarly, the mat in the babys bed is not normally suitable for the transporting of babys items when traveling. In addition, traveling parents often encounter the problem of finding adequate facilities for washing their baby since few, if any, motels or hotels provide bathinettes. Thus a single pad which is capable of providing numerous functions heretofore requiring a variety of different items to satisfy the babys needs represents not only a significant contribution to the art but in addition a major benefit to both the parents and the baby.

THE INVENTION It is thus an object of this invention to provide a pad which is capable of being folded and secured in a variety of configurations and thereby serve a variety of functions. It is an object of the invention to provide a flexible pad capable of being folded to form a bathinette. Another object of the invention is to provide a pad for a baby bed or play pen. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pad which can be used as a bag.

Other objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a study of the disclosure, the drawing, and the appended claims to the invention.

In accordance with the present invention I have provided a novel pad which, due to the nature of its construction, is foldable and thus capable of achieving a variety of configurations which in turn permits it to serve a variety of functions heretofore achieved only through the use of a plurality of individual items.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a top view of a pad in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pad of FIG. 1 folded to form a play pen;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of the pad of FIG. 1 folded to form a bathinette; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pad of FIG. 1 folded to form a utility bag.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, the flexible pad 11 of this invention is of a generally rectangular configuration, and when intended for utilization in conventional play pens can be a square with each of the four sides being about 40 inches in length. While the pad 11 can be fabricated from a single layer of material, for example a sheet of flexible unicellular rubber or flexible unicellular resilient thermoplastic material, it is presently preferred that pad 11 be formed of an inner cushioning layer 12 and upper cover sheet 13 and a lower cover sheet 14. Layer 12 can be of any suitable resilient material, for example flexible unicellular rubber, flexible unicellular resilient thermoplastic material, cotton batting, nonwoven batting of synthetic thermoplastic materials such as polyester, polyamide or polyolefins and the like. At least one and preferably both of covers 13 and 14 should be waterproof. Covers 13 and 14 can be fabricated of any suitable material, for example plasticized polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon and the like, and can be a solid sheet or a laminate of a woven or nonwoven fabric backed by a waterproof film of a thermoplastic material. Cover sheets 13 and 14 are bonded together, for example by gluing, stitching or heat sealing, along the peripheral edges thereof to form edge seams 15, 16, 17 and 18 along the four sides of the pad 11 which intersect at corners 21, 22, 23, and 24.

Pad 11 is provided with fold lines 31, 32, 33 and 34 in the upper surface thereof, and preferably also with corresponding fold lines 35, 36, 37 and 38 in the bottom surface. Score lines 31, 32, 33 and 34 are spaced inwardly from and substantially parallel to edges 15, 16, 17 and 18, respectively, to form a rectangula center section 40, generally rectangular side sections 41, 42, 43 and 44, and rectangular corner sections 46, 47, 48 and 49. Fold lines 31- 34 and 35-38 can be formed by grooves or continuous interruptions in cushioning layer 12. The cover layers 13 and 14 are preferably bonded to cushioning layer 12 along the grooves or to each other in the case of interruptions in layer 12. Such bonding minimizes the shifting of the material of layer 12 in pad 11. Such bonding can be easily achieved when the cover sheets are plastic by the application of heat and pressure along the intended fold lines in an amount suflicient to slightly melt the thermoplastic material.

In each of corner sections 46, 47, 48 and 49 there is provided a pair of securing means 51 and 52, 53 and 54, 55 and 56, and 57 and 58. In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, securing means 51, 53, 55 and 57 are male snap fasteners and securing means 52, 54, 56 and 58 are female snap fasteners. Fasteners 51 and 52 are preferably located on fold lines 31 and 34, respectively, equally distant from the intersection of score lines 31 and 34. Similarly, fasteners 53 and 54, 55 and 56 and 57 and 58 are preferably located on fold lines 32 and 31, 33 and 32 and 34 and 33 equally distant from the intersection of the corresponding pair of fold lines. The location of the fasteners on the fold lines provides not only a reinforced point of attachment, but also serves to assure accurate alignment of the fasteners and provides a neater appearance of the pad in the folded conditions.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the outer portions of the pad 11 of FIG. 1 have been folded inwardly and upwardly along fold lines 31, 32, 33 and 34 and each adjacent pair of fastening means have been secured to each other. Thus snap fasteners 51, 53, 55 and 57 have been releasably but securely inserted into fasteners 52, 55, 56 and 58, respectively. The result is an open-ended box which can be employed as a portable play pen or a pad for a rigid play pen having a padded bottom 40 and the padded side walls 41, 42, 43 and 44.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the pad 11 has been folded in the manner of FIG. 3 and then the resulting box turned inside out. This results in a depressed cavity 60 of reduced size and having curved surfaces. In this form the folded pad is suitable for use as a portable bathinette.

Securing means such as straps 61 can be placed around the corners, if desired, which will add further stability to the unit.

Referring now to FIG. 5, fasteners 51, 53, 55 and 57 have been secured to fasteners 58, 52,54 and 56, respectively, to form a portable bag. One corner can be left unfastened to form a sleeping bag.

While the joining of the various points on the pad have been illustrated by male and female snap-type closure members 51-58, it is within the contemplation of the invention that other means can be used to secure the outer sections of pad 11 into the various configurations. Such securing means include buttons and holes, hooks and eyes, and cord and holes for passage of same through the pad.

While not required, the outer layers 13 and 14 can be bonded directly to the inner layer 12. Such bonding can be achieved by utilization of any conventional bonding agent suitable for the particular material from which the outer layers 13 and 14 are made, and when a thermoplastic material is employed, the bonding can be achieved by the application of heat.

In addition, the total composite can 'be bonded by a stitching such as that employed in conventional quilting operations. In such case the lines of stitching should be thereafter coated with a material such as a thermoplastic material so as to preclude penetration of the stitched areas by water or other liquids. A mock quilting effect can be achieved by the utilization of heat or conventional bonding agents applied in the desired quilting design.

While the edges 15, 16, 17 and 18 have been illustrated as being straight lines, it is within the contemplation of second, third and fourth fold lines formed in said sheet member spaced inwardly from and generally parallel to said first, second, third and fourth sides, respectively, to form a rectangular center section, four generally rectangular side wall sections and four corner sections; each of said four corner sections having a first fastening means in the proximity of one of the fold lines forming the respective corner section and a second fastening means in the proximity of the other of the fold lines forming the respective corner section, each pair of said first and second fastening means being substantially equally distant from the intersection of the fold lines forming the respective corner section, each pair of said first and second fastening means being adapted to be cooperatively secured together, wherein said sheet member comprises an inner cushioning layer between an upper cover sheet and a lower cover sheet and wherein said upper and lower cover sheets are bonded to said inner cushioning layer of said second fastening means is a female snap fastener.

the invention to have one or more edges formed in any i desired design, for example, a camelback where the side walls are taller in the middle than at the ends, or a scalloped pattern.

Reasonable variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawing 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,058,122 10/1962 McDaniel et al 5348 XR 3,093,407 6/1963 Wilson 5345 XR 2,672,628 3/1954 Spanel 4177 XR JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

